Automatic piano.



PATENTED MAY 28, 1907.

J. A. WBSER. AUTOMATIC PIANO. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1907.

@Mono PATENTED MAY 28, 1907.

J. A. WESBR.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLIOATION FILED PEB. 2s, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2V UNITED singes PATENT OFFIOE.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented may 28,1907.

Application-filed February 25,1907. Serial No. 359,280.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. WEsER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, of the city of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pianos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. n automatic pianos, the force of the blows of the hammersvaries with the intensity' of the source of power for the actuation of the hammers, ythat is, in pneumatic pianos, with the variation of 'the' air pressure or exhaust ,7 pressure or tension in the pumps or feeder bellows from which are operated the pneumatics which directly actuatethe hammers, the intensity of the source of power being varied by devices usually under the control of the performer. Addltional expression devices also under control of the performer are sometimes provided, such as a movable hammer rest rail by means of which the amplitude of the blows of the hammers can be varied, a softer tone being produced when the hammers are limited to a short range of movement.

.By the present invention itis sought t0 combine the additional or supplemental tone, regulatingdevices inoperative relation with the source of power for the operation of the hammers. Two highly desirable results arel thus secured; first, the performer is relieved of the necessity of dividing his attention between twosets of expression or tone regulating devices, the one being operated indirectly through the other, and, second, the range of expression is increased, the pianissimo passages being rendered with greater delicacy and the fortissimo passages with greater power. In automatic pianos and piano players in which the control of the expression devices is automatic, the intervention of a performer not being required, simplicity in construction is secured, as well asthe greatest range ci expression. i

In the embodiment of the invention which is chosenl Jfor illustration and description herein the supplemental expression device is such a movable rest yrail as is referred to above and provision is made whereby it moves in correspondence with the variation of air pressure or tension in the pump or feeder bellows, moving away from the hammers to permit them to have greater amplitude of stroke when the pressure tends to give the greatest force to the blows,l and moving toward the hammers, to restrict the amplitude'of their movement, when the pressure is such as to reduce' the force ofthe blows. Preferably the mechanism for shifting the hammer rest rail is actuated directly by the movable member of the bellows. vIt will be evident, however, that other means may be employed for effecting the desired result.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a partial view, in front elevation, with some portions brolen away, of an automatic piano to which the invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 `of Fig. 1. view showing in different positions certain of the parts shown in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail vievv'showing in different positions certain of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views showing plan views in different positions ofthe devices for controlling manually the position of the hammer restI rail.

' In the piano shown in the drawin s each finger key 1 acts as usual through an a stract 2 upon the corresponding hammer 3, dampers 4 being provided as usual for co-operation with the strings 5. The source of power for the actuation of the hammers automatically is sufliciently represented vb the bellows 33 from which connection is ma e by suitable ducts with the chest of the hammer action pneumatics, the location of which is indicated at 84. Means are provided as usual for controlling the air pressure or tension in the hammer pneumatics to 'vary thej force of the blows of the hammers and therefore the tone produced, such means not being necessary to be shown and described herein.

So far as the present invention is concern'ed, an means mi ht be provided for varying the orce of the lows of the hammers, as in the construction shownfor varying the `air pressure or tension in the bellows 33 for Fig. 3 is a detail IOO they strike the strings and so reducing the force of the blow and modifyingl the tone reduced, there is mounted m rear of the hammer stems a special rest rail c which is carried by arms c of a rock shaft c2. The latter is rovi ded with an'arm c3 which bears against t ie up er end of a lever c4 pivoted at c5. Against t ie lower end of the lever c4 bears the end of a rod c which rests upon a sui table support and i-s connected at its outer end to one arm of a bell crank lever c7. The other arm of this bell crank lever is connected with a rod cB having a handle or knob c", a spring cw being also connected vto the bell crank lever so as to press the end of the rod c against the lower end of the lever ci. The rod c5 and. knob c peimit the special rest rail c to be operated by the performer' when required and the knob c9v also acts as an indicator to show the osition of the rest rail, moving as the rest rai moves when actuated by the devices about to be described. Mounted ina suitable bearing d near the upper end o'fthe bellows is a bell crank lever, the vertical arm dfof which carries a roller d bearing against the lower ortion of the lever c4. The horizontal arm 3 of this bell crank lever carries a wedge shaped or cam block d for co-operation withthe movable member SSaof the bellows 33, so that the special rest rail c shall move toward or from the hammer stems in corres ondence with the movement -of such movab e member 33a away from or toward the stationary member, thus varying the throw of the hammers as the pressure which actuates the hammers through the hammer pneumatics is reduced or increased bythe usual expression or tone regulating device. The action of this part of the mechanism is automatic and iii order that this automatic mechanism may be thrown into or l out of operation at will, there is mounted movably on the movable member 33a of the bellows 33 a bar c which is slotted, as at e', for engagement with the screws e2 which hold 4the bar to the member 33, At the lower end of the bar e, or near the hilcrum of the movable bellows member 33, there is secured a stud e3 which is connected by a link e4 with one arm of a bell .crank lever e5, mounted in a suitable bearing "e and having its other arm e7 accessible to the performer. Movement of the arm e7 from the position lshown in Figs. l and 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 raises the bar and its roller cx from v the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which it will not act upon the block d4 during the movement of the bellows member 33, to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which it will act u on such block during the move'-y ment of t e bellows member 33a from its right hand position to its left hand position. 'The action of the roller e u on the block i4 rocks the bell crank d and di on its fulcruni and through-the lever c4, arm c3, rock shaft ot 4nections which actuate the hammers, indec2 and arm c, moves the special rest rail c toward the stems of the hammers to reduce their backward throw and thereby to reduce their momentum during their forward. throw and consequently the lorce of the blows with 7o which they strike the strings. The movement of the special rest rail c is in correspondence with and proportionate to the movement of the bellows member 33, so that the .force of the Iblows ol the hammers is by this means reduced or varied in correspondence with and in proportion to the ieduction or variation of the force of the blows produced through the hammerlpiieumatics. When the hammer actuating tension is greatest the `throw of the hammers is greatest and fortissimo passages' are rendered with greater force. On the other hand, when the hammer actuating tension is least the throw of the hammers least and pianissimo passages are rendered with greater delicacy.

lt will be understood that various supplemental means might bc employed. for varying the force of the blows ot the hammers incorrespondeiice with the intensity of the hammer actuating force and that the invention, therefore, is not limited to thc particular means shown and described herein, such means having been chosen merely as air-illusg ltration of the nature ol the invention :ind ot devices which may be employed conven- L' iently in connection with automatic pianos ot .the style and construction indicated' in' the drawings.

l claim as my invention 1. ln a pneumatic piano, the'combiiiation of hammers, bellows and intermediate connections to actuate the'haminers, and'independent means actuated by variations of pressure in the bellows to vary the force of the blows of the hammers.

2. In a pneumatic piano, the combination of hammers, bellows and intermediate con- IOO I I O pendent means to vary the force of the blows of the hammers, -and connections whereby the last named means are actuated in correspondence with the movement of the bellows.

3. lil a pneumatic piano, the combination of hammers, bellows and intermediate oonnectioiis to actuate the hammers independent means to vary the force of the blows of the hammers, and connections actuated by the movement of the bellows to operate said means. y

4. In a pneumatic piano, the combination of hammers, bellows and intermediate connections to actuate the hammers, a movable rest rail to vary the backward throw of the hammers and connections' whereby ,the rest rail. is move in correspondence with the movement'o the bellows. i v

5. In a pneumatic piano, the combination hammers, -bellows and intermediate con- 13o nections to actuate the hammers,- a movable rest rail to vary the backward throw, of the hammers and connections actuated by the movement of the bellows to move said rest rail.

6. In a pneumatic piano, the combination of hammers, bellows and intermediate connection's to actuate the hammers, a movable rest rail to vary the backward throw of the hammers, a lever havingone arm arranged to be acted upon by the movable member of said bellows and connections between said lever and said restrail whereby the latter is is moved in oorrespondence'with' the movement of the bellows, and independent manually oferated devices' to move said rest rail.

8. n a pneumatic piano, the combination of hammers, lbellows and intermediate connections 4to actuate the hammers, a shiftable bar carriedfby the movable member of said bellows, means to shift-said bar, a lever arranged to be acted upon by said bar in one position, and. connections between said. lever and said restrail to shift the latter in correspondence with the movement of the bellows member. Y

This specification signed and witnessed this 23rd day of February A. D., 1907.

JoiIN` A. wEsER.

Signed in the presence of-- SAMUEL Goo'rENBERG, CONRAD HArRrs. 

